Stencil apparatus for flatware decorating



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 KW QW o H. P. FISCHER STENCII.. APPARATUS F'OR FLATWARE DECORATING June 26, 1951 yFilfed Oct. 29, 1948 June 26, 1951 H. P. FISCHER STENCIL APPARATUS F'OR FLATWARE DECORATING @d oct. 29, 194s 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fil June 26, 1951 H. P. FISCHER 2,558,614

STENCIL APPARATUS FOR FLATWARE DECORATING Fil'd Oct. 29, 1948 3 SheetS-Sheet 5 Patentecl June '26, 195i STENCIL APPARATUS FOR FLATWARE DE CORATING Howard P. Fischer, Monaca, Pa.

Application October 29, 1948, Serial No. 57,213

This invention relates generally to Ware decorating and more particularly to improvements in screen stenciling apparatus for decorating atware. This invention contemplates the provision of a flatware decorating machine having an adjustable guidevvay for conducting a multiple series of articles under a hinged screen carrying a stop which functions as a gauge when the screen is in stenciling position to properly position the articles relative to the stencils on the screen and which allows the articles to pass through the machine when the screen with the stop is raised. This structure provides a simple apparatus that is very economical in stenciling an extremely high production of flatware with one sweep of the squeegee across the multiple printing screen decorating three or more dozen pieces at a time and the structure required is inexpensive and easily constructed.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following description and claim.

Practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-series flatware decorating machine of the simplest form;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modied form of multiseries flatware decorating machine comf prising this invention with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2 with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2; and i Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Referring principally to Fig. 'l of the drawings f the base I of the machine is provided with the spaced parallel `guides 2 and 3, the guide 3 being adjustable through the relocation of the brackets 4 secured by the wing nuts 5 in the several holes 6. Similar tracks or guideways 'I and 8 are employed at the feed and discharge ends, respectively, of the machine for the purpose of receiving articles such as the fiat-sided bottles I0 and sliding the same through the machine.

At the rear of the base I the machine is provided with a pair of upstanding posts I I to which the forwardly extending arms I2 are hinged as indicated at I3. The posts Il may be positioned at different relative heights by means of changing the location'of the fastening bolts I4. This permits raising or lowering of the hinge I3 relative to the upper surface of the base I. The spaced arms I2 are provided with the wing fastening means I5 which secure the framed screen member i 6 to the underside of the arms causing them to function as a unit. The screen member I6 is provided with a wooden rectangular frame l1, the under surface of which has attached thereto the ne mesh screen I8, on which is positioned a plurality of stencils I9. `Each stencil is accurately located on the screen so as to properly aiign the designs with their respective flatware articles I@ indicated as the small flatsided bottles on the drawings. The screen mesh I8 may be of silk, plastic, wire or other suitable mesh and the stencils i9 may be affixed thereto by any suitable method such as the photographic method well known in the ware decorating art.

The guide rail 3 is provided with a pair of upwardly extending stop posts 20 that may be adjusted for different heights relative to the articles and is arranged to be engaged by the outer or free end of the hinged screen member I6 when the latter is in its horizontal position. When the screen i5 is lowered to a horizontal position, so as to rest on the top posts 2t, the surface of the screen lies a short distance above the surface of the articles IQ.

The right end of the screen I6, which represents the discharge end of the machine, is provided with a lateral stop strip 2l which, when the screen is lowered to its horizontal stenciling position, is disposed in the path of movement of the bottles lil. Thus, when the screen is lowered so as to rest on the vertically adjustable posts 2G the bottles il] may be shoved under the screen between the guideways 2 and 3 until their necks or forward ends engage the transverse stop 2l on the underside of the screen. This stop is fastened to the screen in such a manner as to properly align each series of bottles relative to the rows of stencils I9 on the screen. It is preferable that the operator manually move the series of bottles until they engage the stop 2i although there may be several bottles at the feed end of the machine engaging the bottles within the machine, the former being unable to be fed into the machine unless the hinged screen E6 is raised to allow the other bottles to pass out of the machine.

A pigment is placed on the top surface of the screen i8 and a hand squeegee is employed to move the pigment from one end of the screen to the other. It is found in operation that the screen may be made sufficiently large to cover as many as four series of articles, each series containing as many as a dozen small bottles all of which may be decorated by a single sweep of the squeegee in one direction. After the bottles are decorated the hinged screen is raised to lift the stop 2i from the path of the bottles and the bottles are then moved through the machine until the last decorated bottle is up to the stop 2i at which time the operator moves the decorated bottles out of the road and down the discharge guireway 8 and permits the screen to be lowered so that the stop 2l again operates to arrest and align the next set oi multiple series of ilat articles.

The structure shown in Figs. 2 to 6 is more elaborate than that shown in Fig. 1 and is capable of decorating a considerably greater number of articles with a single sweep of the squeegee than that of the structure of Fig. 1. The article receiving base 22 is provided with the up-` wardly extending guides 23 and 24. The back guide 23 may be formed integral with the base andthe guide 24 may be conveniently made from afrangle iron which is adjustable relative to the rear guide 2.3. The base 22 is supported on the side channel members 25 and 2S, the outer side ofwhich is provided with the transverse angle iron's= for supporting the tracks or guideways for lsupplying and discharging the ware from between the guideways on the base plate 22 and either. end of the machine.

' The base 22 is provided with spaced horizontally disposed'rearwardly extending posts 28, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5 and 6, arranged to receive the blocks 29, which are adjustably secured and slidable therealong and carry the vertically adjustable standards 36. having bearing members 3;( secured at the upper ends of the latter. The bearings 3,1. carried by each of the spaced standards are aligned with one another to receive the sha'it 32 on which is journaled the arms 33 and 3 4, at either end o the machine and which are adjustably secured therealong. The arms 33 and 34. extend forwardly and rearwardly of the bearig's'l asV shown at 35 and their rearward portions are provided with an outwardly extending pin Sii rotatably mounted in the arms 35 and arranged. to receive and clamp onto their respective pitman rods 3l. The other end oi' the pitman rods are pivotally attached to the one armof the bell crank levers 33. r'he spaced bell crank levers 33 are each pivotally supported on their respective support members 25 and 26 as indicated at 3Q. Thepother arm of each of the bellcrank members ispivotally attached to an actuating rod 4d., the front ends of which extend to the front of the machine and are connected to, the arcuate bumper rod 4l. The Weight of the screen assembly is partially counterbalanced bythe springs 42 on each of the rods di) but will not, raise the arms 33 and S4 from their horizontalpositions. By depressing the bumper rod 4i the bell crank levers 38 in Fig. 6 oscillate in a counter-clockwise direction causing the pitman rods 3l to pull down on the rear ends of the arms 33 and causing them to pivot on the shaft 32 and thereby swing them up from the base 22. The blocks 2d, being adjustable to and. away from the base 22 on the rods 28, andthe standards 3b being adjustable in the blocks 29, and the pitman rods Si being adjustably secured in the pins 3E, permits the bearings 3! to adjust the shat 32 in different positionsrelative to the base so as to permit the` machinel to receive ware of dilerent dimensions. Eachof the arms 33 and 3flrisrprovided with a pair of spaced opstanding posts 4'2. The opposed postsl on the arms 33 and 34 are provided with aligned openings for receiving the front and rear track rods 43 and 44. Thus, the arms 33 and 34 and rods 43 and 44 form a unitary rectangular frame. Each of the arms 33 and 34 are provided with the slots 45 for receiving the screws 45 which hold the screen frames 4'! on the underside thereof. The slots 45 permit the screen 4? to be adjusted laterally of the guides 23 and 24 and the arms 33 and 34 are adjustable along the shaft 32 and the rods 43 and 44 to make the. rectangular frame formed by the arms and rods to correspond with the length of the screen 41. However, the track rods 43 and 44 are not adjustable relative to each other as they function as track members for the squeegee carriage 43.

In order to properly support the screen frame 4l in its horizontal decorating position a pair of block members Eil arek adjustabl-y secured to the. front of the base 2,2 and are provided with vertically adjustable arms 5larranged tov engage the underside of the screen frame 4l and maintain the same horizontal relative to the adjustable position of the shaft 32 at, the rear of the machine.

As shown more` clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, the arm 3 4A is provided withY the: spaced depending brackets 52 which carry the spaced parallel arms 53 that extend toward the arm 33. Each of the arms 53 is provided with a slot for receiving the adjustable stop bar member 54 which. lies transversely underneath the screen member 4l and may be disposed at right angles to the guideways 23 and 24 between which the articles travel and in the path thereof, when the screen is disposed in its l'iorizontaly position as shown. When the bumper rod 4j is depressed and the arms 33 and 34 are hinged to raise the screen the stopv bar 54 is also raised and withdrawn from the path of the articles permitting them to be movedl through the machine. Thus, the stop bar 5.54 may be adjustably positioned relative to the screen rather than being, securedA to the screen as disclosed with reference to the structure shown inl Figi. 1.

The squeegee carriage 48 consists of the sidev frame members' 515;. and 56 connected by therods 57 and each is providedwith a set.. of. ve wheels, each ofA which are grooved tovitv the rods 43 and 44. Two ofthe wheelsA 58 bearI on the top of the rail rods to support the weightr of thesqueegee. A thirdwheel 59i bears on thev underside of the rods to prevent the squeegee carriage from` being raised from the track. A, pair of wheels G are disposed on vertical axes for engaging the.

innerside of; the rods for the purpose, of aiding in maintaining the alignment of the carriage. as it moves from one end ofthe track to `the other above the screen frame.

The squeegee carriage side framemembers 5.5'x

and 5dare provided,withspacedupwardly extending lugs 5| and gforreceiving the ends of the beam 63. Oneend of thebeam 53'. isv pivotally attachedbetween the lugs 6l and the.A other.

endisslidable between theV lugsv 62 and is4 biased to be raised by the springA 63, the tension of whichcatedarm 6,1 that ts on bothsides ofthe beam-- 63.. and is provided` withl a shaftextending through thef slot65.1arranged tol carry arollen that operates therein. The underside of the squeegee holder 66 is provided with a longitudinal slot for receiving the squeegee in interlocking engagement. 'I'he squeegee may be held in place by a transverse pin 1I. The beam 63 thus may be lifted to raise the squeegee up out of the carriage and permit the same to be removed or replaced. It is of course necessary for the operator to depress the beam B3 against the pressure of the spring 64 in order to permit the blade of the squeegee to engage the upper surface of the screen for the purpose of forcing decorating material therethrough. As the operator presses down on the outer end of the beam 63 he is enabled to move the carriage from one end of the frame to the other and thus cause the squeegee to sweep the pigment through the screen onto all of the articles lying on the base 22. When the screen is provided with a multiple series of stencils, each stencil being made in alignment and properly spaced from one another in accordance with the dimensions of the articles, and placed on the underside of the frame, the stop 54 is then adjusted so as to accurately position each of the articles when engaging one another in tandem directly beneath its respective stencil in the screen. The operator then applies a pigment or decorating material to within the frame of the screen and sweeps the squeegee carriage from one end of the frame to the other while depressing the squeegee into contact with the upper surface of the screen causing the latter to ilex downwardly and engage each of the articles to deposit a decoration thereon. At the end of the stroke the operator presses on the bumper rod 4| with his body, causing the frame to hinge on the shaft 32 to raise the stop and permit the articles to be moved through the machine. As the frame is hinged upwardly the decorating material will run to the rear end of the screen but the latter will not be tilted suiciently high to permit the material to escape or .be lost therefrom. While the screen is in its raised position the operator may easily push the decorated Ware past the stop 54 and then permit the screen to again drop to its horizontal position placing the stop 54 in the path of the next set of articles being shoved into the machine.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, directly below the stop 54 the machine is provided with a foot treadle 'I4 arranged to actuate the rod 15 which is pivotally secured to the outer end of the lever 'I6 arranged to hinge on the fulcrum '11. The lever is provided with a stop blade 18 arranged to extend upwardly into the path of the articles I 0. Thus, as the undecorated articles are moved through the machine the operator is enabled to press the treadle 14 and cause the stop 18 to rise into their path and permit the screen to be lowered to its decorating position. The articles may then be shoved forward to engage the stop 54 and become properly aligned with the stencils on the screen, ready to receive their decorations.

I claim:

In an article decorating apparatus, the combination of a guideway along which a multiple series of articles may travel through the apparatus, a screen frame having a screen with a multiple series of stencils formed thereon in positions matched with the positions of articles to be placed on' the guideway, hinge means adjacent the guideway for receiving the screen frame and to maintain proper alignment of the stencils of the screen relative to articles on the guideway, and unitary stop means extending transversely of the guideway and carried by the screen frame to arrest and gauge the position of the articles on the guideway when the hinge means maintains the screen in stenciling position and to release the articles for movement along the guideway when the screen and frame are raised from the stenciling position.

HOWARD P. FISCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,061,679 Simonton Nov. 24, 1936 2,207,818 Perry et al July 16, 1940 

